


tumblr drabbles

by esmeanne



Category: Twilight Series - All Media Types
Genre: Drabble Collection, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2019-03-29
Packaged: 2019-09-20 08:50:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 10,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17019567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/esmeanne/pseuds/esmeanne
Summary: A collection of drabbles posted on Tumblr.





	1. "Will you marry me?"

“Will you marry me?” Carlisle blurted out.

They were working out in the garden, Esme planting different types of fruit while he followed after her with her supplies. She usually gardened on her own but he’d been working far too many hours lately and missed her terribly.

Esme lifted her head. The sun was shining brightly and the privacy fence they’d installed made it possible to enjoy it. He was always blown away by how gorgeous she looked in the sun, was taken aback by the sparkle of her skin.

“Didn’t we already do that?” She asked him with a smile.

Carlisle chuckled, a bit embarrassed by how flustered she still made him. “I meant ‘will you marry me again?’. We could renew our vows for our anniversary.”

Their 50th wedding anniversary was just a month away and they were both incredibly excited. Fifty amazing years had flown by in the blink of an eye.

Esme wiped her hands on her pants and learned forward to cradle his cheeks. “I can’t believe it’s been fifty years.” She said, leaning forward to kiss him.

His hands found their way to her sides, smiling at her as she pulled back to look at him again. “The kids will be there.”

He nodded. “They’re rather excited.”

“They are?”

“Alice has already seen it. Says it’s going to be beautiful.”

“Of course she has.” Esme smiled, pressing another kiss to his lips. “I guess I don’t really need to answer you then, huh?”

“I would still very much like to hear you say it.” He moved his arm to her back, running it up and down her spine.

“I would love to marry you. Again.”

He pulled her close, hugging her tightly. She laughed as she wrapped her arms around him.

“What’s so funny?” He asked against her hair.

“You blurted our first proposal out just as nervously.”

“I had a plan for each one.” He explained. “But the question just slipped out both times.”

“I don’t know why you’re so nervous.” He murmured against his ear, playing with his hair. “You had to have known I’d say yes. Today and fifty years ago.”

“Maybe I’ll do better next time.”

She shook her head, pulling back just enough to see his face. “Next time, I’m asking you.”

“Oh?”

“Mhm. And it’s going to be perfect.”


	2. "Dance with me"

Esme heard him pull into their gravel driveway, had smelled him as soon as he stepped out of his automobile. She couldn’t help but smile as she moved her paintbrush along the canvas. She’d missed him terribly, always did.

Without Edward there to keep her company, the nights seemed to move so much slower.

“Hi, darling.” She said, raising her voice to be heard over the sound of the record player when he walked inside. Something that was unnecessary, vampire hearing and all, but it’d slipped her mind.

He smiled at her, hanging his hat and scarf on the rack. “Hi.”

After hanging his coat beside his other things, he made his way over to her. He placed a hand on her back, leaning in to kiss her temple. “What are you painting?”

“Our old house.” Esme told him, turning her head to capture his lips in a soft kiss. “How was work?”

“Wonderful, actually. We had a few patients healthy enough to go home.”

There’d been a terrible wave of the flu that had made its way through the small town. Carlisle and the other doctors had been working tirelessly to take care of the overflow of patients.

“Really? That’s great.”

He nodded, smiling as he noticed the change in song. Carlisle pressed another kiss to her cheek and lifted his hand to loosen his tie.

“Dance with me.”

She sat her paint brush aside, wiping her hands on her apron. “Dance with you? I’m covered in paint!”

“I don’t care.” He said, taking her hands. “I love this song.”

Esme smiled, dropping one of his hands to wrap her arm loosely around his neck. “I’m going to get paint all over your shirt.”

“I have other shirts.” He told her, wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her close.

It’d been a difficult year. They’d been enjoying marital bliss, enjoying the newfound privacy that they had while missing Edward terribly. They hadn’t heard from him in over thirteen months, had spent that entire time worrying about him, about his safety and the humans that were around him.

Carlisle had told her about the Volturi, about his fear for what they’d do to Edward if his hunting became too erratic. If he attracted too much attention, the Volturi wouldn’t hesitate to intervene.

“Stop thinking so hard.” Carlisle murmured.

“How could you tell?”

“Your forehead.” He pressed a kiss to the center of her forehead.

“My forehead?”

He nodded. “You furrow your brow and wrinkle your forehead when you’re overthinking.”

“Vampires aren’t supposed to have wrinkles.” She huffed, playing with the hair at the base of his skull.

Carlisle chuckled softly, pressing another kiss against her forehead. “What were you thinking about?”

“Edward.” She admitted. “I’m so worried about him.”

“I worry too. But there’s nothing we can do.”

“I know. We just have to wait for him to come home.” Esme said as they swayed to the music.

“Do you think he will?”

“I know he will. He’ll come back to us one day.”

They moved together in silence for a few minutes, listening to the soft music from the record player.

The song ended, replacing it with an upbeat tune that put a smile on their faces. Carlisle spun Esme in a circle, pulling a laugh from her.

They moved around their living room, forgoing any type of formal dancing they might have participated in before. They took turns leading, took turns spinning the other around until they dissolved into fits of laughter.


	3. "You're a monster!"

“You’re a monster!” The little girl shouted, bouncing excitedly in front of Esme.

“Oh, I am?” Esme asked, crouching down in front of the girl. She reached forward to grasp her zipper, zipping it up to her chin. “I’ll pretend to be a monster if you promise to keep your coat zipped up. It’s far too cold to not be bundled up. Deal?”

The girl nodded quickly. “Deal!”

Esme smiled. “Okay, what does the monster do?”

“You chase me! And you growl like this!” She held her hands up, imitating a pair of claws as she growled loudly.

Esme held her hands up, mimicking the girl. “Got it.”

The girl took off across the playground, looking back over her shoulder at Esme as she chased after her.

Esme jogged at a slow human pace, making sure to keep an eye on the other students that she was supervising.

After a few minutes, she caught up to the girl and reached out to tickle her sides. “I got you!”

The girl shrieked with laughter, squirming in Esme’s arms. “Your turn, Mrs. Cullen! I’ll be the monster.”

“I-“ Esme stopped, looking up as she caught his scent. Carlisle was walking out of the school and making his way toward the playground. “We can play some more in a few minutes. Why don’t you go join that game of kickball.”

The girl nodded and ran off. Esme walked over to the edge of the playground with a smile, meeting Carlisle as he stepped through the little gate.

“Hi, darling.” He said, smiling as he kissed her cheek.

Esme took his hand, reaching her other out to grip his coat and pull him closer. “What are you doing here?”

“I was coming to visit you for our lunch breaks. You usually spend this time at your desk but when I didn’t find you, the very kind receptionist told me where to find you.”

“The weather is perfect today.” She said, looking up at the cloudy sky. “I volunteered to take recess duty.”

Carlisle looked out at the group of kids running around, playing on the swings, and kicking a ball. “You looked like you were having fun.” He said, wrapping his arm around her back.

She leaned into his side, turning her head to watch the kids too. “I am. I’m so glad I decided to start teaching again. It’s a nice change.”

She hadn’t taught in years, not since she was a human and that had been almost seventy years ago. She usually filled her days with designing houses, restoring antiques, or working on her portfolio but when the local elementary school was desperate for a kindergarten teacher in the middle of the school year she’d decided to give it a try.

Just a few hours into her first day, she was overjoyed with her decision. The children brightened her day every morning, so sweet and full of life. They were infatuated with her, leaving cards and finger-paintings on her desk almost every day.

They were so well behaved as well. More so than she remembered Kindergartners being before. Carlisle believed it was because she was a vampire now. She commanded authority and respect just by existing.

“I’m glad. At least once a day, someone tells me how happy they are to have you at the school.”

They were living in a small town this time. Everyone knew everyone meaning that when Dr. Cullen’s mysterious wife took a job at the elementary school it had been the talk of the town.

“Everyone has been incredibly kind.”

He rubbed her back, shifting his gaze to her as she watched the children. “What were you playing?”

“Oh, I was pretending to be a monster.” She said, grinning at him. “Pretending.”

Carlisle laughed. “You are the furthest thing from a monster, my love. I imagine that’s why the little girl was laughing.”

“She’s a smart girl. I fear might figure out our secret.” She teased. “She asks a lot of questions.”

“Like what?”

“‘Mrs. Cullen, why is your skin sooo white?’ and ‘Mrs. Cullen, aren’t you hungry? It’s snack time.’”

“A six year old is going to crack our age old secret.” He smiled.

“They might. Children seem to be getting smarter and smarter with every generation.”

He nodded in agreement. The children screaming happily. The kickball game had ended when a little boy grabbed the ball and ran off with it. The other kids chased after him, shouting for the ball.

“I might have to break this up in a moment.”

Carlisle nodded in agreement. “You can handle it. If you can break up an argument between teenaged vampires, I think you can handle a group of young humans.”

Esme smiled, remembering the squabble she’d had end the night before between Rosalie and Edward. She started to say something else but stopped when one of the children fell to the ground, letting out a loud cry.

“Oh no. I might need a doctor’s help here.” She looked at Carlisle, lifting the whistle to her mouth and blowing.

The children froze, looking at them as they made their way over to the children. Carlisle crouched down beside the boy that had fallen, looking over his scraped knee as Esme lined the rest of the children up to go inside.

After a few moments, the skinned knee was covered with a bandaid and the children were hanging their coats on their hooks inside. Esme shrugged her coat off, laying it on the back of her chair.

“I should get back to the hospital.” He told her, reaching out to brush her hair down where wind had tousled it.

She nodded. “Thank you for taking care of Jason’s knee.”

“He’ll be fine. Just a little scrape. I told him that the best way to heal would be to sit at his desk and listen to his teacher. Doctor’s orders.”

Esme smiled and kissed his cheek, laughing when the children giggled at their desks. “I’ll see you at home. I love you.”

“Love you too.” He told her before waving at their audience. “Bye everyone.”

“Bye, Dr. Cullen!!”


	4. "I don't deserve to be loved."

Esme dried her hands on the skirt of her dress, gripping the material tight enough to cause a tear. She growled softly at the dirt under her nails, at the reason for it.

Her eyes wandered over to the spot where they’d buried the body. Where she had buried the body while Carlisle looked on. She’d told him to stay back. That it was her mess to clean up, not his.

She was so, so ashamed. She hadn’t had a slip up in months. Not since before their wedding. She couldn’t even remember what happened, really. Just that she and Carlisle had been walking through the woods. They’d been walking for hours when she’d caught the scent of human blood. She registered the sound of Carlisle’s voice, his hand on her arm, and then the next thing she knew there was a dead hiker underneath her.

She’d stood quickly, stumbling backward despite her perfect balance. Phantom tears had sprung to her eyes as she lifted her hands to her mouth.

Carlisle had been at her side in an instant. He had tried to comfort her but she shook her head, shifting away as she stared at the young woman’s body.

Carlisle had followed her line of sight, making his way over to the body. He crouched down beside her, looking for an ID or anything else that could tell them who the young woman was. He knew what to do. She’d done this before.

When Carlisle moved to pick up the body, Esme rushed forward. “Don’t touch her!” She snapped.

“We have to bury her.”

“I’ll do it.”

“You don’t have-“

“Yes, I do.” Esme said firmly, nudging him out of the way to lift the woman into her arms.

They’d found a spot deep in the middle of the woods. Esme carefully laid her down before falling to her knees in the dirt.

“Let me help.” Came Carlisle’s gentle voice from behind her.

“No.”

He didn’t argue with her, standing a few feet back as Esme dug the grave with her hands.

Once it was deep enough, she kneeled before the woman again, gently stroking her hair. “I’m so sorry.”

“Esme.”

“I know.” She replied, lifting the woman into her arms and then placing her in the grave. It didn’t take much time to cover her up, to move a large boulder over the site.

“Darling?” Came Carlise’s voice again, pulling her from the thoughts of what she’d done just moments ago. “Are you ready to go home?”

Esme stood, turning to face him. She couldn’t imagine how she must have looked- covered in blood, in dirt, with the red eyes of a killer.

He stepped forward and reached out to take her hand but she jerked back.

“Don’t.” She said, her hands at fists by her sides. “Why didn’t you stop me?”

“It was an accident.” He said calmly.

“Why didn’t you stop me?!” She shouted. “You didn’t even try! You let me kill someone!”

Carlisle didn’t flinch, responding gently. “We should go home.”

“No, I killed someone.” Her voice wavered. “Oh my god…I killed someone.”

Carlisle pulled her into a hug, holding her tighter when a dry sob shook her frame.

“I’m so sorry.”

“It was an accident, love.”

He held her for what seemed like hours, running his hands down her back, his fingers through her hair.

When she pulled back, her face fell again. “I’m sorry.” She repeated, reaching out to touch his bloodstained shirt.

He shook his head and covered her hand with his. “Let’s go home. Edward is probably wondering where we are.”

“I-I don’t know how the two of you live with me. After everything I’ve done…I don’t deserve to be loved. I’m a monster.”

“You are the furthest thing from a monster, Esme. These things happen. It’s an unfortunate tragedy but your remorse proves that you’re not a monster.”

She looked at him and then back at the young woman’s grave.

“Let’s go home.” He said a third time, offering her his hand.

She nodded this time, taking his outstretched hand and following him home.


	5. "This tastes horrible!"

“This tastes horrible!” Esme laughed, tossing the piece of chocolate back into the package that was open in front of them.

Carlisle chuckled, sitting the piece he’d been munching back down beside her abandoned candy. “It is.”

“Why’d you bring this home anyway?” She asked, leaning her head against his shoulder and looking out at forest in front of them.

“Allison, one of the nurses, she told me that it was Valentine’s Day and insisted that I take some candy home to my wife.”

“She just happened to have boxes of candy lying around?”

“Her son is selling it for a school fundraiser.”

“Ah.” She said with a smile, taking his hand in hers. “Makes more sense.”

“I didn’t know how to tell her that my wife isn’t too fond of candy on Valentine’s Day.”

“Hmm, no. Those deer we shared were perfect.”

Carlisle chuckled, wrapping his arm around her back. “You know, the other doctors and nurses seem to think I’ve made you up.”

She watched their hands, rubbing her thumb over the back of his. She hadn’t been to see Carlisle at the hospital since they’d moved. Her slip up was what prompted their abrupt departure from their last home and she just didn’t trust herself around humans.

“There’s a benefit coming up for the New Year.”

“I don’t know, Carlisle…”

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to, love, but I have complete faith in you.”

“But-“

“It’s been months. That man was injured, bleeding. You hadn’t hunted in days. It wasn’t your fault.”

She sighed, nodding a little in spite of herself. She felt guilty. She always would after taking a life but she’d been a vampire long enough to know that Carlisle was right. She’d practiced her restraint for years. Trips into town on her own hadn’t been dangerous anymore, answering the door to a stranger hadn’t ended in tragedy as it would have in the beginning. What had happened to the wounded man in the forest was a tragedy but it wasn’t telling of her restraint. “I know.”

“Just think about it.”

“I will.”

Carlisle nodded, pressing a kiss to her hair.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a while, content with each other and the quiet of the woods around them.

“You know, I can’t even remember what chocolate tasted like when I was a human.” She said, reaching out to nudge the package with her toes. “I can’t believe I used to like it so much.”

“Chocolate hadn’t been invented yet when I was a human. Or at least hadn’t made its way to Europe.”

“You’re older than chocolate?” She teased, lifting her head to look at him.

“Give it a few centuries and you’ll be older than all kinds of things.”

“Not you, though.”

“No, never me.”


	6. "Are you jealous?"

Esme looked up from her sketchpad, distracted by the sounds of humans enjoying the public park. It was a perfect day- cloudy but not too dreary, nice enough for them to be outside. 

Carlisle and Esme had taken advantage of the weather, using it as an excuse to escape the honeymoon den that their home had turned into after Rosalie and Emmett’s wedding. They’d grabbed an umbrella, blankets, and some books before heading out to the nearest public park.

The humans were enjoying the weather as well. It was one of the first really nice days of Spring, the chill in the air replaced with warmth. Some were on the lake with paddle boats while others were reading on benches, their children running freely.

They, like a number of human couples scattered around the park, were settled together on a blanket in the grass. Carlisle had his nose buried in a book while Esme had started to sketch the trees and ducks. 

The sound of tiny footfalls pulled Esme from her thoughts and Carlisle from his book. They looked up to find a boy of maybe four or five years walking toward them.

“Hi!” He said as he approached their blanket.

“Hello.” Carlisle said warmly, closing his book.

Esme took in the sight of the boy, smiling at the sight of his grass stained stockings and scraped knees. He was certainly enjoying the change of the season. “Hi there.”

“My name’s Mikey.” He told them, reaching up to brush his shaggy blonde hair from his eyes.

“I’m Esme and this is my husband, Carlisle. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet ya.” He fell to his knees on their blanket.

“Where are your parents, pal?” Carlisle asked.

Mikey pointed to a bench a few yards away where a woman was focused on the knitting needles in her hands. “Ma’s over there.”

The boy leaned forward to get closer to Esme, resting his hands on his knees. “Whatcha coloring?”

Esme looked down at her sketchbook and then back at the boy. “Oh, I’m just drawing the trees.”

“Why?”

She shrugged. “I like trees.”

“Me too! I like to climb but Ma isn’t too happy when I do it.”

Esme smiled. “Climbing’s fun, isn’t it?”

Mikey nodded, taking another look at her sketchbook. “Hey, that’s a duck!” He said with a smile, reaching out to touch her picture with his finger. “I gave them some bread.”

“Yeah? I bet they loved that.” Esme said, ignoring the fact that his touch had smeared the graphite.

“They did! They said ‘quack quack quack’ and tried to eat my sandwich!”

“Oh no. I hope you managed to get away from them.”

“I did!” He exclaimed. “I’m super fast! Wanna see?”

Before she could answer, Mikey was on his feet and running across the park.

Esme glanced at Carlisle, laughing softly as he watched the boy.

“He’s cute.” Esme said.

“He is.” Carlisle agreed. “Oh, and it looks like he’s a bit distracted now.”

Esme turned her attention back to the boy who’d stopped running to bend down and pick at the wildflowers growing at the edge of the park.

“I miss being around little ones.” She admitted. “I don’t recall every detail of my job but I remember loving the children.”

“You could teach again. You have your thirst under control and there are plenty of schools around here.”

She shrugged and rested her head against his shoulder. “Maybe in a few years. I don’t quite trust myself yet.”

Carlisle nodded. He trusted her judgement. He didn’t believe she’d slip again, he really didn’t, but the last thing he wanted was for her to be uncomfortable. He knew that she’d never be able to forgive herself if she hurt one of her students. “Whatever you want, love.”

When they heard Mikey making his way back to them, she lifted her head from his shoulder. Mikey approached a little slower this time, his cheeks pink as he held a bundle of flowers out to Esme.

“For me?” She asked, reaching out to take the flowers.

He nodded, looking between her and Carlisle before taking off toward the bench where his mother was sitting.

Carlisle chuckled. “It seems you have an admirer.”

“It seems I do.” Esme said, lifting the flowers to her nose as she watched Mikey climb up onto the bench beside his mother. “Are you jealous?”

“Terribly so.”

Esme laughed, lifting her hand to wave at the boy and his mother when they looked in their direction.

“Well, you have nothing to worry about.” She sat the flowers aside and reached for her pencil, flipping to a new page in her book.

“So you say. But you’re already sketching him.” He teased.

Esme smiled as she began to outline the lines of the boy’s face.


	7. "Car sex looks so much easier in the movies!"

“Car sex looks so much easier in the movies!” Esme said with a giggle, shifting off of him to settle against the backseat.

Carlisle had been sent to a medical conference a couple hours away at the beginning of the weekend. Esme decided to drive up with him, saying she’d do some holiday and antique shopping in the city while he attended his meetings.

It had been nice to get some alone time away from the kids when they’d arrive back at their hotel room at the end of the day. They loved their children but a family of seven, of seven vampires, offered very little privacy.

They’d spent an extra night in the city after the conference and were finally headed home. They’d woken up and thrown on some lounge clothes for the drive before hitting the road.

They had been about an hour into their trip when soft caresses turned into more; the next thing they knew, they were parked on the side of a country road with finger prints pressed against foggy windows.

Carlisle turned his head, smiling at the sight of tousled hair and bliss on her face. “We haven’t done that in years.”

“Because it’s so much easier said than done.” She turned to face him, her head resting against the back of the seat as she lifted her hand to the spot beside his head. “I ripped the leather.”

He moved his hand to cover hers. “It’s alright. I broke the door.”

Esme sat up to peer over at the car door beside him where, just as he’d said, the handle was broken off.

“I wonder if car sex is just as difficult for humans.”

“I imagine it is.” He mused.

“They’re not quite as flexible as us and backseats require a fair amount of flexibility.” She grinned, dropping her hand from the seat to run her finger along his bare thigh.

His eyes followed her finger as it made its way up the side of his thigh. “Their cars might not suffer as much as ours do, though.”

Esme hummed in agreement, lifting her leg to hook it over his as her hand continued its acsent. “You know, I-“

The sound of a police siren made them both freeze and begin scrambling for their clothes. Carlisle pulled his pants on quickly, tossing Esme her shirt. Just as she got it over her head, the officer tapped on the window with his baton.

Carlisle pulled his own shirt on before pushing the door open and stepping out.

“You too, ma’am.” The officer said, crouching down to look at Esme in the backseat.

Esme nodded and climbed out of the car, running her fingers through her hair as she walked around the hood of the vehicle to meet them.

“The two of you are aware the public indecency is a crime, correct?”

Carlisle glanced at Esme and then nodded at the officer. He was an older looking man, maybe in his mid to late fifties. “We are, officer.”

The man, Officer Andrews his nametag read, looked them over. “Let me see your IDs and registration.”

They both nodded, reaching into the car to retrieve the items he’d requested.

“You two stay right here while I run these.” He said before walking back over to his car.

Carlisle looked at Esme and chuckled softly.

“What?”

“Your shirt is on backwards.”

She looked down and sighed, making her husband laugh a little harder.

Esme glared halfheartedly at him before whacking his arm lightly. “Well your hair is sticking up all over the place.”

He reached up to flatten it as Officer Andrews approached them, their IDs in hand. “Mr. and Mrs. Cullen?”

They both nodded and took their IDs back.

“Where are the two of you headed?”

“Home.” Carlisle replied. “I had a conference out of town.”

“What do you do?”

“I’m a doctor.”

“A doctor, ay?” Officer Andrews said, looking the couple over with more of an amused expression than anything else. “So you’re definitely smart enough to know that a stunt like this could land you into some big trouble.”

Esme rested her hand on Carlisle’s back. “We’re sorry, officer. It won’t happen again.”

The police officer looked at her, nodding at her words. “You said you’re heading home?”

“That’s right. Our children are expecting us soon.” She explained.

“You two don’t look old enough to have any kids.” His tone was playful now and Esme could feel Carlisle relaxing beside her. “You must’ve just graduated medical school. How many do you have at home?”

“Five.” Esme replied.

“Five?!” The officer exclaimed, a look of disbelief on his face.

“They’re adopted.” Carlisle explained. “All teenagers, actually.”

Officer Andrews let out a soft whistle, shaking his head in sympathy. “Five teenagers.”

Esme laughed. “That’s usually the reaction we get, isn’t it, darling?”

Carlisle agreed, giving her a smile before turning his attention back to the officer.

“I’m gonna leave you both with a warning. But no more fooling around in your car just because you’ve got five teenagers at home.”

They both nodded, thanking the officer and promising to never do it again. He bid them a goodnight before retreating back to his car.

Carlisle and Esme slid into their seats, Esme taking the keys to drive the rest of the way.

“The kids are never going to let us live this down.”

Carlisle shook his head. “So this is why Alice could hardly contain her giggles when she told us that we’d have an interesting weekend.”

“We should ground her for not warning us.” Esme said jokingly. “Take her credit card for a week. The rest of them too. Guilty by association.”

“Let’s just let them off with a warning this time.”

She shook her head, watching the police car drive away in the rearview mirror. “If we had ended up in a jail cell, they’d be living outside.

Carlisle laughed at that, imagining Edward playing his piano on the front lawn, Rosalie fixing up a car beside him because she’s been kicked out of the garage.

“You’d last an hour before you’d personally move all five of them back into the house.”


	8. "I want to take care of you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is AU.

It had been fifty years since their almost-battle with the Volturi over Nessie’s existence.

After everything had calmed down, Carlisle and Esme thought it best to keep up a civil relationship with the Volturi. Alice didn’t foresee them coming after them again and to be honest, neither did Carlisle or Esme; however, the Volturi was powerful and it was best to stay in their good graces. 

At least that had been the intention. 

Carlisle and Esme made frequent trips to Volterra, almost yearly. The first few times had been awkward, they’d all been uncomfortable as the Cullen leaders stood in the middle of the Volturi’s throne room.

Esme had never been to Volterra before their first visit. While Carlisle had respected their authority, believing that they were doing good things for vampires, he’d never wanted to expose her to the darkness that seemed to surround them. Their home was like a dungeon. They didn’t live as a family the way the Cullens did. 

Seeing the Volturi for the first time after that day on the field had been strange. No one had known what to say. Aro welcomed them with his usual false sense of warmth, kissing them on the cheek. He’d reintroduced them to the members of his guard, to the people that had been so ready to kill them just a year before. 

Alec was the first one the break the awkward tension, offering to show them around the castle. Although Carlisle remembered it vividly from his own Volturi days, he and Esme graciously accepted.

By the end of the tour, Esme had Alec laughing, her silly jokes making the twelve year old boy in him momentarily forget the severity of his life.

Jane had glared at him, punching him in the arm when she thought no one was looking.

Years and years after their first trip, things with the Volturi were once again…tense.

Alec and Jane, after centuries, decided to leave the Volturi. They’d shown up at their front door dressed in plain clothes that they’d bought after leaving Volterra.

When Esme opened the door, she’d been stunned. She almost didn’t recognize them without their dark robes, Jane without her intense eye makeup. They actually looked like twelve year olds, like two lost kids that needed help.

Esme stepped aside, silently welcoming them into the house.

“Has Aro sent you?” Esme asked them, her usual hospitality offered toward house guests slipping her mind as she replayed the last few months in her head. Had they done something wrong? Had one of the children, had Nessie caused a scene that she wasn’t aware of?

“We left.” Alec told her, his eyes examining the Cullens’ living room.

“You left?”

Jane’s eyes hadn’t left Esme from the moment she opened the door, unwilling to let her guard down. “We’ve grown tired of the charade. The Volturi isn’t what it used to be.”

Esme knew it was more than that. Carlisle had told her just a few months ago that one of the Volturi guards- Chelsea, had been killed after causing a scene in the middle of the city. Why she did it, the Cullens weren’t sure, but whatever it had been resulted in her death.

Esme suspected that Chelsea’s death and the elimination of her gift was what had caused the shift in the Volturi’s order. Chelsea had possessed the power of relationship manipulation, having an influence on the emotional ties that existed within the guard.

Without that power, Jane and Alec’s loyalty to Aro may have shifted. Perhaps they realized that they were being used or perhaps it was that they wanted more, more than a dark and dreary castle filled with vicious adults.

While they’d expected a change in the Volturi, they had never imagined that the twins would show up on their doorstep on a cloudy Wednesday morning.

“Where is everyone?” Alec asked.

“They- the children are at school and Carlisle is at the hospital.”

Alec looked at her, his brow furrowing slightly. “You stay home all day by yourself?”

Esme smiled a little. “For just a few hours. Carlisle should be finishing up his shift soon.”

Alec nodded, glancing at Jane. The two of them stood awkwardly in front of Esme, unsure of what to do. Jane tried to look confident but Esme could see the unease behind it all.

“Why don’t we sit down?” Esme said, leading them further into the living room.

The twins followed, sitting side by side on the couch while Esme took a seat in a chair across from them.

Alec looked at her, his voice almost sheepish. “We didn’t know where else to go.”

Esme took in the sight of them. They’d lived for centuries and centuries before Esme had even been a thought in her parents heads but they were still very much children. She could see that so clearly now. She’d always been struck by their youthful faces but now as they sat uncomfortably on her couch with ill fitting clothes and poorly masked fear in her eyes, her heart broke for them.

“It’s good you came here.” She said softly, leaning forward in her seat. “We can help you. If you’d like our help.”

Alec nodded as Jane spoke up, brushing her short hair back behind her ear. “You don’t have to take care of us.”

“I want to take care of you.”

The twins looked at her, unsure of what to say. They’d spent too many years being used as weapons, too many years of being dehumanized and feared. They’d forgotten what it was like to be vulnerable and afraid. They couldn’t remember the last time they’d been taken care of.

“If you’d let me.” Esme continued. “If you’d let us.”

Jane and Alec exchanged a meaningful look, their twin telepathy as they’d jokingly called it as humans, doing the talking for them.

“Okay.” Jane said quietly, relaxing slightly against the soft cushions.


	9. comfort

Esme parked her car beside Carlisle’s, her brow furrowing in confusion. She rarely arrived home from work before Carlisle. She climbed out of the car, brushing some sawdust from her shirt as she did. She’d been working to renovate a small house in the downtown of the city they were currently residing in.

She made her way up the steps of their porch and into the house, toeing out of her shoes. “Carlisle?”

“Upstairs.”

Esme walked up the stairs and down the hall, pushing their bedroom door open. Carlisle was standing in front of their dresser untying his tie. His shoulders were tense. Actually, his entire body was wrought with tension.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?” Esme asked, pulling her sweatshirt over her head and tossing it into the hamper. “Are you forgetting that we’ve been married for half a century and I can always tell when you’re lying?”

Carlisle sighed, taking a seat on the edge of their bed. “How could I forget?”

Esme took a seat beside him. She watches him bend down to remove his socks. “Did something happen at work?”

“We lost Mr. Johnson today.”

“Oh no!” Esme breathed, resting her hand on his forearm. “I thought he was doing better?”

“He was but…” He shook his head. “He developed a fever and this his blood pressure dropped. He was gone before we could do anything.”

She rubbed his arm. “I’m so sorry, darling.”

“We should have seen this coming.”

“You’re too hard on yourself.” Esme assured him. “You did so much for him. That old man thought the world of you.”

“He thought the world of you too.” Carlisle said, smiling sadly. “He loved it when you came to visit.”

“Only when I brought brownies.”

The two of them laughed softly, Esme lacing her fingers through his. It was always difficult for him when he lost a longtime patient that he’d built a relationship with. Mr. Johnson had been staying at the hospital for months- an old man with a quick wit and love of baseball. He and Carlisle spent hours discussing the World Series and poor trade decisions.

She squeezed his hand. “I know you cared about him. I’m sorry, Carlisle.”

“I did. It’s- you know, you’d think it would get easier. It’s nearly impossible to not form a bond with the humans I see every day. I always assumed it would get easier when one of them passed.”

Esme pressed a kiss to his shoulder. “I’m afraid your compassion will continue to cause you heartache.”

They were quiet for a few minutes, her head against his shoulder as she ran her thumb back and forth over his knuckles.

“You know what you need?”

“What’s that?” Carlisle asked.

“A nice, relaxing bath.” Esme said, standing from the bed and tugging on his hand.

He smiled a little, letting her pull him to his feet. “One of Esme Cullen’s world famous bubble baths?”

“Mhm.” She led him through their room into their large en-suite bathroom. Esme closed the door behind them and then kneeled down beside the tub, starting the water. As it filled up, she added the bubble bath and let the scent of lavender fill the room.

Just a few moments later the two of them were settled into their warm bath sharing stories of their friend. Carlisle relaxed, his arms around his wife as he laughed at her silly story of the old man that had managed to fill their lives with joy with his sarcastic quips and memories of days in the Air Force during the second Great War.


	10. protection

“Are you hurt?” Carlisle asked, pulling her aside as he looks her up and down.

Esme laughs as she shakes the snow from her hair. “I’m fine, Carlisle. My gosh, you need to relax.” She gently grabbed his chin with her fingers and pressed a kiss to his lips before moving around him toward where she and Kate had been sparring.

“Ready to go again?” Kate asked her, brushing her long blonde hair back over her shoulder.

Esme nodded, crouching down in a fighting stance as Tanya counted down. “1…2…3…Go!”

Kate lunged at Esme but the younger vampire evaded her, jumping to the side. Kate turned to pounce again. This time, she grabbed Esme around the waist and lifted her before slamming her into the snow.

Esme used her legs to kick Kate off and then jumped to her feet. She ran at Kate but gasped in pain when Kate managed to catch her and throw her back down, her hands grabbing at either side of Esme’s skull.

“I win again.” Kate said with a triumphant smile, playfully pretending to twist Esme’s head. “Ripped your head off.”

“I think that’s enough, Kate.” Carlisle practically growled at the vampire who had become something of a sister over the years. He helped Esme up when Kate climbed off of her, glaring at the blonde as Esme winced. “What’s wrong, love?”

“Just a scratch.” Esme huffed, showing him the tear in her shirt where Kate’s nails had ripped through. There were a few scratches along her ribs. Nothing too serious but they stung.

“We should go inside. Let me take a look.”

“Carlisle, I’m fine.” Esme insisted. “Your protectiveness is very sweet but we’re just sparring. It’s important that I learn to defend myself, remember?”

That was the whole reason they’d made the trip to Alaska. Esme’s fighting ability was not the best and both Carlisle and Edward didn’t want to fight her. The Denalis were good fighters and more importantly they wouldn’t go easy on her as the boys knew they would.

Carlisle nodded slightly, sighing as he looked at her torn shirt. “I’ll go get you a new shirt from upstairs.”

“Thank you.” She murmured, rubbing his arm before he turned to walk away.

She watched him go and then turned back to the three Denali sisters. “Sorry about him.”

Kate waved her off, a smile on her face. “He loves you, that’s all.”

“Yeah,” Tanya added. “He waited almost three hundred years to find you. I imagine it’s difficult for him to stand by while Kate kicks your ass.”

Esme laughed. “I’m getting better!”

“You are.” Kate assured her. “And the moment you stop worrying about hurting me, you’ll do even better. If another vampire is attacking you, you need to focus on saving yourself and that’s it.”

“I know.” Esme sighed. “I just- I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

“You and Carlisle are truly a perfect match. You’re the only vampires I know so concerned about causing harm.” Irina said as she stepped up to fight Esme next. “Ready?”

“Ready.” Esme said, rolling her eyes at the sound of Carlisle’s worried growl coming from inside the house as Irina crouched down.


	11. ticket

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carlisle and Esme having to explain a ticket from the police that the kids found.

A new home.

It was 1983, time to move to a new town. A new house that Esme had designed for their family. They were all excited. They were moving to a bigger city this time meaning that there would be opportunity after opportunity for arts and entertainment. Maybe they could get new jobs, attend new types of schools and then go on to college.

Alice was carrying a box into Carlisle and Esme’s office, helping them unpack the room. She sat the box down on top of Carlisle’s desk and pulled the flaps open. She lifted a stack of neatly packed books from inside. After placing them down beside the box, she reached in for a few more.

She noticed a piece of laminated paper sticking out from one of the books. Her brow furrowed curiously as she tugged the paper free.

A laugh tumbled from her lips causing Rosalie to peak into the room.

“What’s so funny?” Rosalie asked.

Alice held the paper out to her sister. “Look at this.”

The blonde took it, turning the paper over as she read. “A ticket for public indecency?”

“Public indecency?” Emmett asked as he zoomed into the room. “Who got a ticket? Walking around topless again, Alice?”

“Not me!” Alice said, smiling as she took the paper from Rosalie and held it out to Emmett. “It was Carlisle!”

Emmett threw his head back as he laughed. “Oh my god! I didn’t think the old man had it in him.”

Rosalie took the ticket back from Emmett, unable to stop grinning at the situation. It was so unlike Carlisle- to do something so crazy. “This is from May of 1979.”

“May of ‘79…” Alice mused. “That was when Carlisle had that big medical conference. He and Esme were gone for almost a whole week.”

“Esme probably dared him to do something crazy.” Emmett joked, walking around the girls to look out the window. Carlisle and Esme were pulling up the long driveway. Esme was driving, laughing at something Carlisle had said to her. “Here they come. We can ask them.”

Emmett waved at them when they stepped out of the car. Esme waved back, smiling brightly as she took Carlisle’s hand and pulled him toward the house. It took less than a second for the two of them to appear in the doorway of their office.

“Care to explain this, Carlisle?” Emmett asked, taking the ticket that Rosalie held out for him. He sighed as he approached the vampires that posed as their parents. “We’re not angry with you; we’re just disappointed.”

“Hey!” Esme gasped, reaching out and snatching the ticket from Emmett. She handed it to Carlisle who tucked it into the pocket of his dress pants.

“Where did you find that?” Carlisle asked.

“It was in one of the books I was unpacking.”

Rosalie stepped up beside Emmett, wrapping her arm around his waist as she grinned at the older pair of vampires. “So, what happened?”

Carlisle shook his head, laughing nervously as he shared a look with his wife. “Nothing.”

Emmett wrapped his arm around Rose, his tone as teasing as hers. “Did Esme dare you to run around with your di-“

“No, I didn’t.” Esme huffed.

Alice practically bounced over to her siblings to laugh softly. “Come on, you guys. Tell us.”

Esme shrugged, reaching into Carlisle’s pocket for the ticket. She pulled it out and read over the words before smiling up at Carlisle. “We were on our way home from Carlisle’s medical conference…”

“We were discussing how much fun we’d had. We were excited to go home, though. Excited to see all five of you.”

“But then…” Esme giggled softly, looping arm through Carlisle’s as he smiled down at her. She knew that if it had been possible, her poor husband would be bright red. “We thought about how we were coming home and wouldn’t have the unlimited privacy we’d had in our hotel room. So, we pulled over and-“

“Ew, okay.” Rosalie wrinkled her nose.

Emmett reached out to push at Carlisle’s chest playfully. “Sex in a car on the side of the road. You dog!”

“It was your mother’s idea.” Carlisle told them, making Esme laugh and bury her face against his bicep as the kids laughed.

“Poor Edward.” Alice said. “He’s had to live with this for years.”

“It’s been a nightmare.” Edward said as he pushed past their parents to step into the office at the sound of his name. “Every time one of them looks at that stupid ticket, I have run into the forest.”


	12. volunteering

Esme sat across from the young woman on one of the old sofas, bouncing her baby boy on her knee. The baby giggled and clapped his little hands.

“When he started screaming at the kids…” The woman, Amanda, murmured sadly. “That’s when I decided that I had to run.”

Esme nodded, her hands around the baby’s tummy. “You’ll be safe here.”

“What if he finds us? I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. I’ll need to get a job and- God, I can’t afford daycare for the kids.”

Esme reached one of her hands out to take Amanda’s. “Amanda,” The vampire said calmingly. “take a deep breath.”

Amanda did as Esme asked, her hand clutching at Esme’s.

Esme smiled softly. “Good. Now, the shelter here has a really great security system that will keep all three of you safe. And they offer childcare for the first few months and then it’s a really cheap rate if you want to continue.”

Amanda watched her son, Tommy, wiggle around in Esme’s arms, smiling sadly as she reached out to touch his little hand. “Did I do the right thing?” She murmured.

“You did.” Esme said firmly, squeezing the woman’s hand carefully. Her eyes wandered over the bruise around Amanda’s left eye, the busted lip.

“How do you know?”

Esme kissed the top of Tommy’s head, holding him out for his mother. Tommy squealed happily and cuddled against Amanda’s chest.

From the other side of the room where she was playing with Carlisle at a tiny kitchen set, Tommy’s older sister toddled over to Esme and resting her hand on the vampire’s knee. Esme lifted a hand, running her fingers through Sarah’s dark curls. The little girl leaned into Esme’s touch.

“I was married once before Carlisle.” Esme told Amanda. The young woman glanced over at Carlisle who was on his knees, cleaning up the toys he and Sarah had gotten out. Her eyes went back to Esme, holding Tommy with one hand and Esme’s hand with the other. “He was a drunk. Loud. Violent. He did and took whatever he wanted.

“I’m so sorry.” Amanda whispered, her voice wavering as her own memories came rushing back. “How long…?”

“Four years.”

“What happened? How did you get away?”

“I got pregnant.” Esme told her as she lifted Sarah onto her lap after she’d raised her arms. “I didn’t want my baby growing up in that house so I gathered up some money and ran.”

“Did he ever find you?”

Esme shook her head, her thumb moving back and forth over Amanda’s knuckles. “No.”

Amanda pulled her hand back from Esme, wiping at the tears that had fallen from her eyes. “Thank you for your help.”

“Of course.” Esme murmured. “We brought you all something- honey?”

“I’ll be right back!” Carlisle said, standing and rushing from the room.

Sarah lifted her hand to grab at Esme’s hair, playing with the curls. “Hair!”

“That’s right, sweetheart. That’s my hair.” Esme praised, rubbing her hand up and down Sarah’s back.

A few minutes later, Carlisle walked back into the room with three backpacks stuffed with various different items.

Carlisle sat beside Esme and offered the bags to Amanda. “We heard that you weren’t able to bring much with you when you left.”

Amanda hesitated a moment before opening the biggest backpack, gasping softly when she saw the clothes and blankets filling the bag. With them were pairs of shoes, hygiene products. In the front pockets were hundreds of dollars in gift cards to different grocery stores, pharmacies, and restaurants around town. “I-I can’t take this…”

“You can.” Esme said, lifting one of the smaller bags and helping Sarah open it up. She squealed in excitement at the sight of the toys and books stuffed inside. There were multiple outfits and pull-ups inside too. “We insist.”

“Can I hug you?” Amanda asked her, wiping at her eyes again.

Esme nodded, moving Sarah to Carlisle’s lap before standing. Amanda practically threw herself and Tommy into Esme’s arms, the vampire catching her and holding her close. “You’re going to get through this.” Esme murmured against her hair. “You and your kids will be okay.”

As she held Amanda close, Esme could see Carlisle with an arm around Sarah leaning down to tuck more money into each of the backpacks.

Amanda pulled back, tears flowing down her cheeks as she held her son close. “Thank you so much.”

Esme lifted her hands to wipe Amanda’s tears away. “You have my number. Call me if you need help.”

Amanda nodded. “I will. Thank you.”

After another hug followed by a hug for both of the kids, Carlisle and Esme were making their way out of the shelter. They waved to a few of the women and children that they knew before giving the staff a smile and heading to their car.


	13. rice krispie treats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leah warming up to Esme.

Esme watched from the window as Emmett, Seth, and Jacob wrestled in the backyard. Her eyes drifted from group of boys over to where Leah was sitting alone on the porch. She was picking at the hole in her jean shorts absentmindedly, her brow furrowed in annoyance.

Esme walked into the kitchen, stacking the cookies she’d just finished baking onto a plate followed by some rice krispie treats she’d made specifically for Leah. Seth mentioned just a few days earlier that they were Leah’s favorite sweets.

She poured a few glasses of the pink lemonade they loved so much before carrying it all out onto the porch. She placed the drinks and plate down on the little table situated between the porch chairs.

Leah looked up at her. “Thanks.” She muttered.

“Do you mind if I sit with you?”

Leah shrugged. “It’s your house.”

Esme took a seat in the chair on the other side of the little table. In the yard, Seth was taking a running leap onto Emmett’s back. Her son threw the boy off of him and laughed.

“Emmett, be careful!” Esme called, watching Seth stand up.

Seth waved at her. “I’m okay, Mrs. C!”

She waved back with a smile, shaking her head at the boys antics. She looked at Leah. “You don’t want to get down there and wrestle?”

Leah shrugged again. “I did for a little while but then I got bored.”

Esme nodded, nudging the plate of treats closer to the girl. She reached over and took a rice krispie treat, smiling slightly.

“No wonder they’re all idiots.” Leah said as Jacob shoved Seth’s head into the dirt. “They keep slamming their heads into things.”

Esme laughed softly. “It’s a good thing they’re all extra durable.”

All three boys ran, crashing into each other and landing in grass. The impact of their bodies made a mark in the land, their clothes covered in grass stains.

“Durability can’t fix stupid.” Leah commented, shaking her head as she took another bite.

The vampire glanced at her, smiling sadly for the girl who must have been so lonely. The young girl who’d had her heart broken too many times. “It must be difficult being the only girl.” Esme said softly.

The girl shrugged. “It sucks sometimes.”

“You know, for a while I was the only woman in this family.”

“Really? Blondie and the little one weren’t here?”

Esme shook her head. “When I was turned, it was just Edward and Carlisle living here.”

“So, Edward’s older than you?”

“Not exactly. He’s been a vampire longer than me but I was born six years before him.”

“Weird.”

“Yeah.” Esme said with a smile. “So, it was just me and the boys for a while. They were kind, of course, but I missed the company of other women.”

Leah was quiet, watching the boys as she listened to Esme.

“I know this seems odd- this friendship that our families have now but…we care for you just as much as we care for the boys.” Esme told her, picking another rice krispie treat from the plate and offering it to the girl.

Leah hesitated a moment but then took it. “Thanks.”

“If you ever need a break from wrestling and…fart noises, you can always come find me. Or Rosalie, Alice, or Bella.”

“I don’t like all of that girly stuff that they’re into.” Leah said quickly.

“Believe it or not, Leah, the women of the Cullen family are into more than just painting our nails. Not that we don’t love that too but- you could play baseball with us, help me fix up some houses, or in the garden. You might find that you like it.”

“You fix houses?” Leah asked, her curiosity piqued.

“Mhm. In fact, I built this one.”

“You built this?!”

“Designed it too.”

“Wow.” Leah said, looking back at the house. “I didn’t know you could do all that.”

Esme shrugged, smiling. “I’ve been alive for a long time. I needed something to do with my time. And I’ve always loved art…creating.”

“I used to like to build houses with…blocks.” Leah smiled slightly self deprecatingly. “That’s nothing-”

“No, it’s not nothing.” Esme said quickly. “I started off by building little houses for the barn cats on my family’s farm.”

“Really?”

Esme laughed. “Yeah. A few poor cats had their homes collapse on top them.”

Leah couldn’t help but laugh too. “It looks like you got better, though. This one hasn’t collasped.” She gestured to the house behind her.

“No, it’s been a while since one of my houses collapsed. And even then it had nothing to do with my work and everything to do with the rowdy teenaged vampires living in my house.”

Leah watched the vampire, surprised by her kindness yet again. Not that the others hadn’t been nice enough but they didn’t actively try to include her in the way Esme did.

“Maybe I could help you sometime.” Leah said.

“I’d really like that, Leah.” Esme said, smiling as she sat back in her chair.


	14. its the 90's!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alice, Rosalie, and Esme go shopping.

“What do you think of this one?” Esme asked, holding a purple blouse up against her chest.

“It’s a little plain.” Alice said, wrinkling her nose slightly. “Don’t you think so, Rosalie?”

Rosalie lifted her head from the rack of clothes she was sifting through. “Yes, it’s very boring.”

“You two are impossible.” Esme huffed, placing the shirt back on the rack. She looked around for something else.

“Ooh, you should try this one!” Alice exclaimed as she pulled a small, blue tank top from the rack.

“Alice, that would barely cover my chest.”

“That’s the point.” Alice pointed out, smiling as she looked back at Rosalie who was laughing at them.

“I’m not wearing that.”

“Oh, come on, Esme! It’s the 90’s!” The brunette held the tank top up against Esme’s chest. “You would look incredible in this. And a denim skirt!”

Esme laughed softly, pushing Alice’s hand away. “That might be a suitable outfit for you, sweetheart, but I’m-”

“In your mid-twenties!” Rosalie reminded her. “And twenty something year olds everywhere are wearing skimpy tops and jean skirts.”

Alice nodded in agreement. “You could wear it on your way to the island with Carlisle next month!”

“His eyes would pop out of his head.” Rosalie joked, walking over to them with a denim skirt that she’d found rather quickly in Esme’s side.

“And he loves you in blue.” Alice reminded Esme in a sing-song voice. “Will you just try it on? Please?”

“Fine.” Esme practically growled, taking the clothes from her smiling daughters and heading to the dressing room with them following close behind.

Esme stepped into the changing room and tugged the tank top over her head and the skirt up over her hips, buttoning it with a sigh. She hesitated a moment before turning to look at herself in the mirror. She was blown away by how young she looked. She and Carlisle were so often trying to look older with their fancy clothes and mannerisms but in that dressing room, in that outfit? She looked no older than the age at which she was frozen.

“Let us see!” Came Alice’s excited voice.

Esme gave herself another lookover in the mirror, smiling slightly as she pictured her husband’s reaction and then stepped out of the room.

Rosalie and Alice gasped, both of them springing forward to take one of her hands.

“You look amazing!” Alice exclaimed. “You have to get this outfit!”

Rosalie lifted Esme’s hand to spin her around, making the older woman laugh. “You’re not supposed to look this hot. You’re our mom.”

The three of them laughed as Rosalie spun Esme around again.

Alice smiled brightly. “Please tell me you’ll buy this.”

Esme nodded, holding Alice tightly when the girl hugged her. “What would I do without you, Alice?”

“Walk around looking like a housewife from the 50’s, I imagine.” Alice teased.

“Hey, I looked great in the 50’s!” Esme said as she turned to change back into her clothes.

A little while later, the three of them were heading back to Rosalie’s car. Each of the younger girls had bags on their arms while Esme stood in the middle, her arms looped through one of each of theirs.


	15. self-reflection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Esme and Edward arguing.

Esme watched from the window of their little house as Carlisle pulled out of the driveway. He waved at her with a forced smile as he turned the corner and out of sight.

Esme pulled the curtains closed and spun around to zoom into the music room and glare at the boy she loved like a son as he played his piano angrily.

“Edward.” Esme said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Edward ignored her, finishing his song before lifting his hands from the keys.

“What is wrong with you?” Esme hissed.

“What’s wrong with me?” Edward exclaimed. “Me? What’s wrong with him?”

“Why would you speak to him in such a way?”

Edward and Carlisle had gotten into a bit of a spat before the older vampire had left to work. Edward had just returned home a few weeks earlier after years of rebellion, of feeding from humans. His departure had hurt them more than the boy would understand, had put strains on Carlisle and Esme’s marriage before eventually strengthening it.

While Edward seemed happy to be back, grateful that they’d taken him back no questions asked, some of his problems with Carlisle remained the same. He hated being a vampire, thought himself a monster that Carlisle created without considering what the boy would have wanted.

“He’s a grown man, Esme. He’s way older than the two of us. He can take it.”

Esme shook her head. “He carries the guilt around with him every day of his life. You do not need to make it worse!”

“It’s good that he’s guilty!” Edward shouted, jumping from his seat.

Esme didn’t flinch, standing her ground as she argued with her son. “Every single decision that Carlisle makes is for the good of this family. He loves you. He saved your life, whether you believe it or not.”

Edward gestured to himself as he yelled. “Some life this is!”

“That’s enough!” Esme growled at him. “You do not get to treat him in this way. You have no idea what he has gone through. He has done everything he can to make your life easier than his has been.”

Edward shook his head, laughing in anger. “He-”

“I’m not finished.” Esme said, her voice stern. “We both love you. We both missed you. Every day. I pray that you never have to feel the hurt we felt when you left us. But now, you’re back and things are going to change.”

Edward was quiet, watching Esme in surprise. He’d never heard her yell, had never really seen her angry.

“You’re going to start treating Carlisle better. This is the life you have, the life all three of us have. I understand that it isn’t what you wanted. You’ve made that very clear but there is nothing we can do to change it. I spent four years in a home that was tense, a home where I had to walk on eggshells to avoid a fight and I will not do it again.” Esme told him. “And I will not watch you continue to hurt Carlisle with your words. You need to do some serious self-reflection and consider the way in which you’re treating the man that has given you a home, the man that has loved her like his own son.”

Edward was quiet for a moment, his eyes locked on Esme’s before looking away from her. “Fine.” He muttered, moving past her toward the stairs and zooming up to his room.

Esme sighed, sinking down onto the sofa.


End file.
